Superman agrees to sacrifice his powers to start a relationship with Lois Lane, unaware that three Kryptonian criminals he inadvertently released are conquering Earth.
Before Krypton exploded and Jor-El put his baby son, Kal-El, in a rocket ship to Earth, the benevolent ruler was forced to banish three irredeemable criminals to another dimension called The Phantom Zone. The trio's leader, General Zod, vowed revenge. Later, of course, Kal-El grew up to become Superman, Earth's mighty champion. A battle with the criminal mastermind, Lex Luthor, ends with Superman hurling a nuclear warhead into space where it explodes, but not harmlessly. Instead, it frees the Kryptonian threesome from their other-dimensional prison. They soon discover they have almost unlimited power (the same powers, in fact, as Superman), which they use to take over the Earth. Meanwhile, the intrepid reporter, Lois Lane, learns that her bumbling colleague, Clark Kent, is really Superman, a revelation that leads to him bringing her to his frozen Fortress of Solitude and renouncing his powers in order to make love to her. It is only when Superman and Lois return to civilization that they learn of the three Kryptonians and how Lex Luthor has joined forces with them. Now, Superman must reverse the irreversible and regain his powers in order to save mankind.—J. Spurlin
In Richard Donner's original vision of Superman II, the Man of Steel faces his greatest challenge yet! Three villainous outcasts, Non, Ursa, and their leader, General Zod, are freed from the Phantom Zone only to wreak havoc, devastation, and chaos unto Earth. While this occurs, Clark Kent and Superman, now revealed to Lois as one and the same, begins a forbidden romance with her that ends with the extinguishing of his powers as Earth's greatest savior for the woman he loves, all despite his father, Jor-El's warnings. Meanwhile, Superman's arch-nemesis, Lex Luthor, has escaped from prison with the help of Miss Teschmacher. After discovering the Fortress of Solitude, and learning of the Three Deviant villains, Luthor rushes to aid them in their attempt at World Domination and revenge on Superman. It all boils down to an epic battle in which Revenge, Love, and a Legacy between Father and Son culminate.—J. Curcio
